Tight security in Srinagar, Jammu for Republic Day

Security across Jammu and Kashmir was tightened Saturday on the eve of Sunday’s Republic Day celebrations.

Police has set up security check points with sliding barricades at all entry points into summer capital Srinagar and winter capital Jammu.

Random frisking and checking of people was being done at a number of places in Srinagar to ensure disruption-free Republic Day celebrations.

Similar security measures are being taken across the state.

Governor N.N. Vohra will take the salute at the Republic Day parade in Jammu at the Maulana Azad Stadium.

In Srinagar, Bakshi Stadium is the venue of the Republic Day parade where a senior minister of the state would hoist the national flag and take the salute.

Massive security has been put in place on all roads leading to the stadium.

Sharp-shooters of the security forces would be positioned at the high-rise buildings around the stadium to keep an eye on venue.

In the past, guerrillas have used high-rise buildings around the Bakshi Stadium to fire rockets and grenades at the venue.

CCTV cameras were installed at all sensitive locations in Srinagar and Jammu.

Director General of Police Ashok Prasad Friday held a high-level security meeting in Srinagar to review the overall security for Jan 26.

Talking to IANS, Inspector General of Police (Kashmir) Abdul Ghani Mir said security in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley has been beefed up for the Republic Day functions.

He, however added that the measures taken were part of routine excercise by the security forces around such occasions.

All separatist leaders, including the hardline Syed Ali Geelani, moderate Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Pro-Azadi Muhammad Yasin Malik and others have called for a complete shutdown Sunday “to focus international attention on the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir”.

However, life in Srinagar and all other major towns of the Valley went about normally with people attending to their routine chores without any palpable tension Saturday, unlike previous years.

Senior police and paramilitary officers attribute this to the reduced levels of violence in Kashmir in comparison to early and mid 1990s when the separatist violence was at its peak across the state.